Thursday, November 01, 2007 Roderos orders probe on bar clash
POLICE Regional Office 7 Director Ronald Roderos yesterday ordered the Cebu City Police Office to look into an incident involving a broadcast station manager and a retired policeman last Monday.
Dodi Conejero, based on initial information from the police, was held at gunpoint by an allegedly drunk retired policeman, Rico Palcuto, father of Presidential Anti-Smuggling Task Force Chief Ariel Palcuto, at a bar inside the Asiatown IT Park in Barangay Lahug.
At that time, a liquor ban was in effect for the barangay and youth elections. A gun ban is also in place for the poll period.
Conejero manages 101.9 Charlie, a jazz station on the FM band, and was in the area to help out in an MTV Philippines production held on the street right outside the bar.
Made a scene
Palcuto, according to a witness, arrived and made a scene by upturning tables and demanding for the bar owner to appear.
Conejero tried to pacify him but was rebuffed when Palcuto found out that he did not own the bar.
According to the witness, Palcuto left and came back in a car only to leave and come back again on the same vehicle but with a backup.
The witness said Palcuto and his group went to the bar and when Conejero again asked Palcuto what was wrong, the former policeman pointed a machine pistol at the radio station manager, who put his hands up in surrender.
The Mabolo PNP Station has a blotter entry on the incident wherein Palcuto complained of the supposed loud noise coming from the bar.
Chief Supt. Roderos, speaking before members of the press yesterday, said he has already discussed the matter with Cebu City Police Chief Patrociño Comendador.
“We will sanction this people,” he said, adding that more will be known as soon as the facts are established.
The task of fact-finding has been delegated to the Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Bureau.
CIIB Chief George Ylanan was not able to provide updates as of press time, as the operatives in charge have yet to submit a detailed and final report.
Ed Abad, Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas Cebu chairman, condemned the incident in a statement issued during the press conference that, incidentally, was about a free firearms training for interested members of the media.
In a separate interview, he hopes for a thorough and speedy investigation on the matter.
He recalled that a broadcast company whose reporter, cameraman and driver got involved in a brawl with a drunk police official was quicker in firing its people than the police was in imposing sanctions. (KNR)
